When did you do your first oil change?

I was thinking about doing my first one at 1000 miles.

Comments, recommendations?

 

Read the owners manual. The engineers that designed the engine have a good idea of how to maintain them. Follow their instructions and you be a happy camper. Follow internet advice and you may end up changing your oil once in 100K miles.

 

I'm new on the board here, but had the same question a couple of weeks ago. I went to the Local Dodge dealer to get the oil changed (Had about 3100 miles on it) he couldn't get me in that day but told me I didn't need to get the oil changed till 5000. So????

... Oh, the user manual I got with my truck has absolutely no info regarding the Diesel engine in it, servicing, operation, towing, etc. I asked the salesman about if there was like a supplement and all he came up with was a showroom broucher.

 

Hi Random,

I am assuming the book says the same thing for the 05 models as it does the 04.5 ones. Mine said 7500 if you pull hard with it and 15,000 if you pamper it.

Personally, I go every 5000 miles. Nice easy round number and my oil looks dirty to me, so I feel better about getting out of there. It does hold like 12.5 quarts though so I feel like every 3000 miles is excessive.

I am kinda new here too, though with 12,000 miles on my truck today, so take my advice at your own risk..LOL.

My plan is to change the oil every 5000, fuel filter every 10,000, and tranny, diffs, and transfer case every 15,000. Air filter, I don't know yet and I am considering an aftermarket one like the Scotty Ram Air or something.

 

My owner's manual has schedule "A" and schedule "B". I think I'm on "B" which is the extreme duty schedule, becasue my dealer told me I should be on that (even though I don't tow much or often). I have the maintenance agreement, so it just gets me more for my $. Schedule "A" I think is every 7500 miles.

 

For the first oil change I think 1000 miles is still a little quick. I'd wait til you've got at least 3k on it to drain the factory fill.

There isn't anything wrong with doing the first change sooner than what the book prescribes. The worst thing that can happen is that your wallet may be a little lighter - but there's worse things that could happen to you.

 

I think I'll wait a little longer before my first change.

Typically on new engines, I like to change the oil fairly quickly for the first time. I think 1000 might have been an overly conservative number given the oil capacity of the diesels.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Schedule A is 15k miles and Schedule B is 7500 miles.
That said, I changed first time at 3750 miles with factory stuff, because I fell into that dealer trap about changing oil every 3750 miles on these engines. Then I read the fine print in the maintenance manual where it stated the 3750 miles only applies to the California engines. Then at 7500 changed to synthetic oil and since then have changed oil and filter every 7500 miles, following Sched B. The rest of the drivetrain gets changed every 15k miles.
Schedule A & B have nothing to do with "if you tow hard or pamper the truck." These trucks are made to tow hard!

 

I wonder why 3750 for CA engines? What is different about a CA 610, vs. a 610 for the rest of the world? A 610 is a 610, right. I cant imagine what would require changing the oil sooner. I have a "california" engine, its a 610. My manual says Sked B is a 7500 mile oil change. I could not find the fine print that says to change it at 3750. Yes, there is a column on the MX sked that says 3750, but there are no X'es in the oil change header, only at 7500 miles for sked B. Sked A is a 15000 mi. oil change.

 

Hey DMax, when I got my 2001, I noticed the owner's manual also said nothing at all about the diesel engine. Turned out there was a different manual for the Cummins powered trucks. Not a supplement... an enitrely different manual. The dealer gave me the correct manual, free of charge, as should yours.
-Dave

 

03 & 04 The California engine model, different HP rating, had a cross-looking icon in the Maintenance Manual. Due to CA smog/epa restrictions there was a 3750/7500 oil change interval, while the 49 other states were at 7500/15k oci's. My dealer service writer pointed at the maintenance manual and stated the OCI was 3750 miles, which was incorrect. This was prior to the 04.5 & 05 engine (600/610HP)which is now 50 state legal, due to items added like catalytic converters.

 

rossn2, this makes sense. I remember that the 04 600 was a H.O. which was not availible in the People's Republic of California. With the 04.5 all the CTD's were H.O. So I guess as an end result, all the CTD's have now been Californicated, so to speak.

 

Actually, the 03 and 04 HO's were rated at 305HP and 555 TQ. They were not legal in CA, NY, and some other wacko state, I think. The 03 and 04 SO's were something like 235 HP and 425 TQ. The SO's did have the 3750/7500 oil change interval. The 04.5 325 HP / 600 TQ (now 610 TQ with updated programming) through 05 CTDs are 50 state legal. 555 HO's and 600 (aka 610s) all have 7500 (B) and 15000 (A) oil/filter change intervals.

I think I'm going to do my first oil/filter change at 5K (on the dealer), then again at 10K w/fuel filter (my garage), then every 10K with fuel filter after that (easy to remember + fuel filters in this area are only good to 10 or 11K). From everything I've seen (including UOA's or oil anaylisis reports), the oil/filter is easily good for 10K, and that's using CI+4 Delo or Mobil 1300 dino oil & the infamous Fleetguard Startapore oil filter.

 

Change mine every 5000, I just change it yesterday for second time with 10000 on it. I like to do it at 5ooo mile because it makes it easy to remmember, 15000,20000.ect..Make sure the oil filter gasket does not stick to the block when changing it ,mine did yesterday and if you don't catch it, it may not leak right away but will sooner our later.I have seen more then one do it yourselfer loose and engine this way, it is real easy to do.

 

I did my first change at about 3,500. Based on the sky high silicon numbers in the oil analysis (over 30), I would changed it at 500 to 1,000 miles if I had it to do over.